


Tommy Knows: "Trust But Verify"

by ThomE_Gemcity_06



Series: Eloquence of a Secret [11]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon-divergence, Angst, Car Accident, Drama, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s1e11 - “Trust But Verify", Family Drama, Friendship, Gen, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Secrets, Thea!Whump, Tommy Knows!, casework, relationship drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-09
Updated: 2017-06-09
Packaged: 2018-11-12 03:24:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,413
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11153226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThomE_Gemcity_06/pseuds/ThomE_Gemcity_06
Summary: Tommy tries to referee between Oliver and Diggle's disagreement on a list name; but who's going to referee for Tommy at dinner with his father?





	Tommy Knows: "Trust But Verify"

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own Arrow, its episodes or its characters.  
> Tag: Season 1, Episode 11 - "Trust But Verify"

**aRRoW**

"Hey, man." Diggle approached the pair. "You should think about getting a side-entrance to the, uh... Arrowcave with all the construction guys working upstairs."

"Arrowcave?" Oliver repeated and twisted his shoulder to give Tommy a disgusted look.

"Hmph!" Tommy protested, eyes wide and hands raised in innocence, a pair of chopsticks in one hand and noodles hanging from his mouth that he quickly slurped. "Hey, don't look at me. This was all him." He jabbed the chopsticks at the ex-solider.

Oliver turned back on his stool and raised a brow. "Arrowcave is terrible, we're not calling it that. The lair is fine."

"My conversion attempts have been a fail," Tommy joked. "It's hard to make a robot funny."

Diggle narrowed his brows at the dark-haired man. "What are you even doing down here, Merlyn? Shouldn't you be up there supervising?"

"I'm on my lunch break," Tommy held up his takeout carton and dug right back in with his chopsticks. "I'm a working man now, it' hungry work."

"Just put it one in the South alley." Oliver told Diggle. He set his tools on the table and went to the computer. "There's something I wanted to show you. You've seen the news about this team robbing armoured trucks?"

"Yeah." Diggle nodded and came to stand next to the blond. "I read about it in the papers. They've robbed three so far."

"That's why I keep all my money offshore." Tommy said way to casually. Oliver and Diggle gave him twin looks. " _If_ I had the money. I am taking general wages for my job position; the rest of your trust fund is going into the club. The fire set us back, but it wasn't like you had done much with the place besides the basement since you bought it."

"Fair enough," Oliver said and turned back to the monitor. "But when I saw the footage of the heist they broadcasted on the news, there was something familiar about it. And then I remembered, Kandahar '09." He brought up a feed from a drone; Tommy craned his neck to see the screen. "Three marines took out a Taliban transport vehicle."

"Now that you mention it... that's a classic swarming technique." Diggle agreed. "Where’d you find this?"

"Looking into this guy." Oliver brought up the guy's military headshot. He leaned both hands on the table. "Former military; now he works as a body guard for a private security firm. Blackhawk Squad Protection Group. Ted Gaynor. And you'll never guess, he's on th--"

"Diggle?" Tommy asked, setting down his takeout.

Oliver glanced Tommy's way before he straightened and turned to Dig, who had taken a step back, stood tense and had a expression of denial and perplexity. Oliver narrowed his eyes. "You know him, Diggle?"

"Ted Gaynor was my commanding officer in my first tour in Afghanistan."

"Dig, I'm sorry... but Gaynor's on the list."

Diggle looked at him. "Gaynor's a few hundred thousand dollars short of making your list, don't you think."

"I never said it was just 1%ers, did I?"

"Well this guy saved my life." He pointed at the screen. "He received a commendation for it. I don't care what your little book says, this guy ain't a stick-up man!"

"You haven't known him in a long time."

"We both kept in contact since we got stateside." Diggle contradicted. "6 months ago he even offered me a job at Blackhawk. Trust me, you don't know this man like I do."

"He's a shoe-in, Diggle." Oliver said. "And I know in Afghanistan his training specialty was M32 multiple grenade launchers. The exact same weapons used in these heists! They're not exactly something you can get at a sporting goods store."

"Two months ago we found out that this wasn't even your father's book." He retorted angrily. "Written by whoever hire the Dark Archer. Doesn't that beg the question... what else you might be wrong about?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Tommy left his stool and approached the seething pair. "He does have a point, Oliver. What's wrong with giving him benefit of the doubt?"

"Do you want to risk benefit of the doubt killing more men?" Oliver growled. "These guys have left no man alive after any of their truck robberies. Now, I'm going to have a pointed conversation with Gaynor and we'll see what he has to say--"

A cell ringing interrupted the heated conversation. Oliver and Diggle stared at Tommy. "Oh! That's me." He said awkwardly. He took his cell out his jeans pocket and made a face at his father's name at the screen.

"Either answer it or mute it, Merlyn!" Diggle ran a hand over his scalp in frustration.

Tommy looked between the two fuming men; and decided what felt like the lesser evil at the moment. It sucked picking sides; he always tried to be Switzerland if he could. "I'll just take this over there." He jerked his thumb back behind himself and promptly went to a far corner of the lair. "Yeah?" he answered curtly.

 _"Hey, Tommy."_ His dad said cheerfully.

"What is it, dad. I'm kinda busy right now." His own was not so.

Malcolm sighed. " _Tommy, I know things have been well strained between us since--"_

"Since you cut me off and told me I was a loser?" Tommy cut him off with a snort. "You could say that."

" _I was just trying to jolt you into adulthood. And look at you now. You've got your first job, heh. My tough love worked."_

"Don't you dare and try to take credit for this." Tommy hissed. "I'm where I am now because my best-friend has always cared about me more than you. The whole Queen family has been a better family. Now, what is it that you wanted?"

" _Just to share a meal with my son_." Malcolm said. " _Dinner tomorrow night_." It wasn't said in question form.

"I have plans."

" _Bring her along_." He said knowingly. " _I think it's time I got to know your girlfriend."_

"You must be slipping in your old age." Tommy remarked monotonic. "I don’t have a girlfriend."

_"Tommy, I've said some hurtful things and I regret them. But you're still my son and I am your father. I still want us to be close."_

Tommy exhaled sharply through clenched teeth. "I'll think about it." And he hung up, shoving his cell back into his pocket. "Have we made up?" he asked as he returned to the main area of the room. He got no answer. Oliver was back at the table, sharpening already sharp things and Diggle was at the punching bags. "Guess not."

**...**

"You two are acting like a bunch of two-year-olds!" Tommy cried in frustration. "What happened to the two of you being partners? Now, I might just be the sidekick, but even I know that this isn't partnership. This isn't some scuffle between two paintball players; people are being killed. So what's the _real_ plan, guys? No more coming from two different sides."

"I'm not just gonna let Oliver William Tell an innocent man." Diggle refused.

"I wasn't gonna kill him." Oliver replied. "And he isn't innocent."

"You have no proof, just a name in a sketchy notebook. A notebook you apparently trust more than me."

"The list hasn't been wrong yet."

"So what your really saying is that _I've_ let you down."

"No." Oliver shook his head. "I trust my father. And he explained to me that every name on the list has a reason to be there."

"That..." Tommy was confused. "I don't understand, Oliver. You told us Robert told you to right his wrongs then he killed himself. Are you saying that wasn't all?"

"A few years ago I found a message he left me explaining the list." Oliver said quietly.

"How is that possible?" Diggle questioned. "You were on a deserted island."

"I didn't say that I found it on the island."

Tommy opened his mouth but quickly shut it, pursing his lips. He still had so many questions, all unanswered. He had his suspicions, he would be stupid not to with what Oliver admitted sometimes, like just now, or learning to speak Russian (and his Russian friends a phone call away), the man (Yao Fei) who had taught him to fight. But he didn't want to push, force Oliver, he was sure his friend had more than enough of that. He wanted Oliver to open up to him on his own accord. So Tommy's plan was simple; stay and support.

Oliver closed his eyes briefly before he stared at his friend intently. "Diggle, for the past four months, I've lied to, hurt, and hid things from people I care about. Do you really think that I would do all this if I wasn't sure?"

"Look, Oliver—Gaynor isn't like all the other high rollers you've gone after. He's a trained soldier. _If_ he is guilty, the kind of scare tactics that you usually pull won't cut it." Diggle said earnestly. "Gaynor gave me a job into Blackhawk tonight. Let me prove that he's innocent."

"Diggle--"

"No." Diggle put a finger close to his chest. "You owe me this. It's the least you owe me." Oliver glowered.

Tommy exhaled, rubbing his hands over his face tiredly. "That's settled, then, and agreed. Diggle will infiltrate Blackhawk, get proof either way. These guys are going to hit again soon as seems their MO. But not without backup."

"You?" Diggle looked at him.

Tommy gave a bark of laughter. "Hell no! I can handle a kitten, not trained soldiers. No; comms. I've been going through all the boxes and supplies down here, doing inventory. It's kind of nice to know what you're dealing with." He went over to the wall and opened one of the crates and pulled out a case, he brought he back over and put in on the table. "Two-way comms. Those little talkies you have are great, but a little inconvenient in the hands department, don't you think?" he patted the case but paused as he looked up and found the pair giving him looks. "What? I can multi-task, I have enough brain cells for that. While the two of you throw around macho grunts and growls... you have no idea how much I have on my plate. I'm like a friggin plate-spinner, I got like seven going." He heaved a sigh. "Now, it's passed my bedtime. This face might still look pretty when haggard, but that doesn't mean it's my preferred style. Somebody give me a ride."

**X**

Tommy had been so stupid. He should have known better, but he had hoped that what Malcolm had said over the phone was a true desire. He should never had gone to dinner. But he'd let Laurel talk him into it when he met her for coffee. Maybe if he hadn't gone alone--

Tommy gave his head a little shake and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. His father's real agenda, as expected, was to have Tommy sign a document to shut down his mother's clinic in the Glades. But his mom loved that clinic, she poured her heart into it and left it to him in her will when she'd been killed. It was his now, and damned if he was going to let his father take that away, too.

And now he was late for Thea's 18th birthday bash. The teen had been nagging the whole family about getting a convertible, and of course he and Oliver knew that was exactly what Moira was getting her daughter. And Tommy really wanted to see her face when she realized.

He was blinded for a moment as sudden high beams flashed in his eyes as a convertible sped around the corner. He swerved and slammed the brakes with a cry. His vision cleared just long enough to see Thea's frightened expression through the windshield before she swerved away.

Tommy barely had thought to put Oliver's car in park at the side of the road where he'd swerved before he was tearing the seatbelt off and throwing open the door. Unlike him, Thea had swerved off the road and into the wood that lined it. His cell was already to him ear for an ambulance as he raced across the road.

"Thea! Thea!" he stumbled down the short bank to the driver's side. She was slumped forward against the steering, the airbag deployed. He resisted the urge to grab her shoulder and shake. No, he'd learned this, he knew this now. Dont move the body unless necessary in case of neck or spinal injury. The dispatcher on the line even told him so.

He couldn't reach her proper from this side, and struggled his way to the passenger side; not caring about the branches and thorns catching in his designer clothes. He climbed into the passenger seat and leaned across. He cut the engine. Her breathing seemed unhindered and the only injury he could see was blood at her hairline. He shoved the phone between his thighs.

He gasped in relief as her eyes fluttered. "Thea?" Her brow scrunched and she gave a small moan; but her eyes cracked. "Hey, hey—you're okay." His finger gently brushed her cheek, rousing her further along with his voice. "You were in an accident."

"T'mmy?" she mumbled, and started to push from the wheel.

"Easy, easy." He helped ease her back against the seat.

"I don't feel good," she mumbled, her head turned on the head rest towards him. Her pupils were blown. He didn't know if it was from a concussion or something else.

"Thea, have you been drinking?" he questioned. "Hey, hey." He put a hand on her cheek when her eyes started to droop closed. "You can't go asleep on me now, Speedy. Gotta stay awake. Now tell me... are you on something."

He got a pitiful moan in return. He sighed and reached for his cell to demand how much longer that ambulance was going to take. A green gleam from the footwell caught his attention and he bent forward. H came back with a dime bag with some green pills in it. "Thea," he cursed in worry and fear. He heard sirens finally and quickly shoved the baggy in his pocket. "It's gonna be okay, Thea. I promise."

He and Oliver were going to leave a trail if they had to.

f

**aRROW**


End file.
